His Eminence Metropolitan Antony met with the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko as he started his working visit to the U.S. paying tribute to the victims of the Holodomor of 1932-1933 in Ukraine and having a conversation with the Ukrainian community.

“Most people didn’t know where Ukraine is, let alone the Holodomor. And today one cannot find a person in the world who would not love us, respect us and pay tribute to our nation,” the President said.

The Head of State emphasized: Ukraine has passed a great distance despite tremendous challenges. He expressed gratitude to the Ukrainian community in the U.S. for the great efforts and unity.

“Everything that is happening in Ukraine now is in the heart of the Diaspora. We feel that. And we do not have to ask for help - the Diaspora does everything it can,” the President said.

Petro Poroshenko added that due to the efforts of the Ukrainian community, the military wounded in the ATO area receive necessary support and assistance in treatment and rehabilitation in the United States.

The Head of State emphasized that jointly with all Ukrainians all over the world we managed not only to stop Russian aggression, but also to prevent Putin’s plans to restore the Russian empire. He stressed that a powerful Ukrainian army was restored in three years and now it has a unique experience.

The President is confident that this is a guarantee of Ukraine’s independence, freedom and democracy. Petro Poroshenko thanked volunteers for supporting the Ukrainian troops.

The Head of State also noted that the war is not an excuse for delaying reforms. “All our partners - USA, EU, Australia, Japan, IMF, EBRD - confirm that we have conducted more reforms than 23 years before,” he said.

According to the President, the state implements the decentralization reform, huge steps have been taken in the completion of the judicial reform, ProZorro public procurement system has been launched.

At the same time, the Head of State called the introduction of the visa-free regime for Ukrainians by the EU the greatest achievement. “It is not just the right to cross the border freely. It is the final farewell to the Russian empire and the return of our nation to the European family,” he added.

Petro Poroshenko emphasized that this was achieved also due to the joint efforts and support from the Ukrainian community abroad.